Institute leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 41% of adults in Institute typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Institute, ~30% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Institute compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Institute is the most Democratic-leaning.
Institute runs about 89 points more Democratic than West Virginia as a whole. West Virginia leans Republican overall, while Institute is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why Institute leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Institute, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 58% of residents in Institute live in densely developed areas, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 56% of adults in Institute have never been married, in the top fraction of cities. Institute runs against the grain of West Virginia, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Institute, WV sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Institute looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 38% of households in Institute rent, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 27% of adults in Institute report food insecurity, above 93% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dunbar, WV D+3
- Jefferson, WV R+41
- St. Albans, WV R+27
- Cross Lanes, WV R+25
- South Charleston, WV R+5
- Nitro, WV R+27
- Upper Falls, WV R+42
- Tornado, WV R+53
- Poca, WV R+53
- Charleston, WV R+5
Cities with Similar Populations
- Abbyville, KS R+61
- Long Creek, SC R+55
- Maxville, OH R+65
- Esto, KY R+65
- Radley, IN R+60
- Cordova, NE R+64
- Morgan, VT R+30
- Jameson, MO R+67
- Moorpark Home Acres, CA R+13
- Iona, IN R+62
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from West Virginia Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.